LIVERPOOL have been preoccupied over recent days with delivering eye-catching statements but, when one was needed last night, they came up tellingly short.

A goalless draw with Wigan, who will cherish this point every bit as much as the one gleaned against Chelsea last weekend as they strive to clamber out of the relegation zone, will do little to improve the mood at Anfield.

If there is one positive from Luis Suarez’s impending eight-match ban for racially abusing Patrice Evra, it is that it must surely jolt Kenny Dalglish into entering the transfer market for striking reinforcements.

Liverpool’s profligacy continues unabated – just 20 goals from 17 league games – and it is not just Suarez’s reputation that has been tarnished over the past few days, but also his team-mates’ credibility as top-four contenders.

Here, it was not just the usual rash of chances that were spurned, but also a powerful, though poorly directed 51st-minute penalty from Charlie Adam that allowed keeper Ali Al Habsi to show off his spot-kick prowess again.

Wigan 0 Liverpool 0

The opportunity arrived after Suarez’s overhead kick had been handled by Gary Caldwell and merely served to confirm the view that life without the Uruguayan will be painful.

Even when Suarez is quiet, as he was here for long periods, understandably so given everything that has happened, he remains central to all that his team attempt.

Liverpool still hope they will not have to grow accustomed to being without him, steadfast in their belief that Suarez, who was replaced by Andy Carroll with three minutes left, is innocent despite the findings of an independent disciplinary commission.

“We stand right beside Luis, we always have done and always will do,” said Dalglish afterwards.

Last night, there were actions as well as words to back up the stance.

Suarez stepped off the Liverpool coach, sipping on his usual herbal brew of mate, to a chorus of cheers from those visiting fans who had congregated early enough outside the DW Stadium.

The cacophony continued once the throng moved inside the ground, one banner declaring ‘The FA is a corrupt disgrace’. But solidarity for Suarez came from elsewhere as well.

Following on from the ferocious response that had greeted the guilty verdict, Liverpool’s players released a joint statement before kick-off backing their team-mate. And they went further in the warm-up.

Each warmed up dressed in ‘Suarez 7’ T-shirts, while even Dalglish donned one in his pre-match TV interview. Yet such open defiance was missing where it mattered most, as the brightest of starts soon dissipated.

Dirk Kuyt shot straight at Al Habsi’s legs from close range following Stewart Downing’s cutback, while Glen Johnson should have broken the deadlock after 26 minutes following a neat one-two with Maxi Rodriguez that left him with only the keeper to beat. There were times Liverpool appeared to perform with hearts pumping six to the dozen under their red jerseys instead of with their heads as they sought to maintain their impressive away form.

And that allowed Roberto Martinez’s side to break time and time again through midfield and on to the best defence in the land, with Pepe Reina called on repeatedly to ensure that remained the case.

Mohamed Diame shot into the side netting from 30 yards and stung the fingertips of the visiting goalkeeper, before Victor Moses showcased his blossoming fortunes with a mazy burst that resulted in another smart save.

“It would have been a catastrophe to lose with the way we have played so I am delighted,” said Martinez, whose side go to Old Trafford on Boxing Day.

“It’s another step forward and it was a performance from us that really made me very proud.”

Were it not for Al Habsi, their momentum would have been halted. The Oman goalkeeper has saved three spot-kicks this term, while Liverpool have now missed four, Adam putting him name on the list of shame alongside Suarez, Kuyt and Carroll. Many more and Reina might soon get a turn.

“You are not cheering when you miss a penalty,” said Dalglish. “But we must be doing something right to keep on getting them.”

Adam tried to make amends, clipping a clever free-kick which Kuyt miscued over the crossbar. But it was not Liverpool’s night. It has not been their week.